ISLAMABAD: President Asif Ali Zardari has urged public bodies to uphold accountability and transparent communication, describing access to reliable information as an essential right of citizens.

He was speaking in a message on the International Day for Universal Access to Information.

“Transparency, accountability and responsible communication by public institutions remain essential. Citizens must be able to obtain reliable information from credible sources, particularly on matters that directly affect their lives,” the president said.

“I reaffirm Pakistan’s commitment to the right of every citizen to access information, particularly on matters of public importance. In a democracy, citizens can participate meaningfully in public life only when they have access to information that is timely, credible and reliable,” he said.

The president said the Constitution provided a clear foundation for this right. The 18th Constitutional Amendment strengthened the constitutional framework for freedom of expression and inserted Article 19-A, which gives every citizen the right to access information in all matters of public importance, subject to regulation and reasonable restrictions imposed by law.

The Right of Access to Information Act, 2017, further provides a legal framework for access to information at the federal level, he said.

“Today, however, the right to know has become more complex. The rapid growth of digital platforms, artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies has changed the way information is produced, distributed and consumed. The challenge is no longer only whether information is available. It is also whether citizens can distinguish reliable information from content that is false, manipulated or deliberately designed to mislead,” Mr Zardari cautioned.

Information could be distorted or weaponised by a range of actors, including state and non-state actors, terrorist and criminal networks and powerful technology companies, he said.

“This makes access to accurate and credible information more challenging and extremely important to an informed democracy. It also calls for greater attention to the role of pro-people journalists, media organisations, communication professionals, researchers and other experts in helping citizens navigate this fast-changing information environment,” Mr Zardari said.

“Our response must therefore be to protect the citizen’s right to know while ensuring that efforts to address monetised misinformation and disinformation do not become a vehicle to suppress legitimate public interest journalism, fair criticism and meaningful public debate,” he said.

President Zardari reaffirmed Pakistan’s commitment to protecting citizens’ right to access information and strengthening the institutions and professional practices needed to uphold that right in a rapidly changing information environment.

Published in Dawn, September 28th, 2026